While we’re loosely on the subject of best-of lists, here’s another one, from LocalGetaways.com, of four dog-friendly beaches in California (in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Carmel and Mendocino) and one in South Lake Tahoe, NV.

On the bad news side are two posts about cities that should be dog-friendly, but actually aren’t. The first is Sonoma, CA, which has gotten a bit of bad press recently for its negative attitude towards dogs (this post, from Sonoma resident Dog’s 2 Cents, highlights the problems of local — and visiting — dog owners). The other is Boulder, CO, which has an extremely misleading reputation as a dog-friendly town. Here’s a post from Elephant‘s Waylon Lewis, writing for The Huffington Post, about what makes Boulder, his beloved hometown, such a wretched place to live in or visit with a dog, and how that could be changed.

On the very bad news side, take a look at Tuesday’s post from the great Everywhereist about a disastrous recent visit to Ashland, OR. The author and her husband stayed at the Plaza Inn & Suites at Ashland Creek, which put them in a pet-friendly room for their first night. Both Geraldine and her husband are allergy-prone, but perhaps they would have survived the kinds of dog-friendly rooms I’ve seen so far in my travels with Chloe. This room, however, was “a Wookie harem” of dust, dog hair, dander and urine. Things got even worse, but this is a dog travel blog, and I’ll focus my outrage on the dog-related part of the problem. The Plaza Inn & Suites welcomes dogs up to 60 lbs. for a fee of $25 per night. That’s not a huge pet fee, but it’s noticeable. It should certainly cover the extra cost of thoroughly cleaning a room in which a dog has stayed. When so many other hotels are managing to keep their pet-friendly rooms immaculate (I’m a picky traveler, and I’m allergic to cats and dogs, so I’d notice if the rooms I’ve stayed in have been soiled), there is no excuse for filth. Pet travel is a delight and a convenience for dog owners, and promises to be profitable for hoteliers, but only if both dog owners and hotels make it a success.

And now for something completely different. Looking for “football-friendly, dog-approved snacks” for your next tailgate party? Dog Jaunt‘s friend Karen Friesecke, the genius behind Doggie Stylish, was recently asked for her ideas for an article in Pet Enthusiast magazine, and of course they’re good ones. Check out Karen’s suggestions for tailgating treats — the article starts on page 8.

If you’re considering international travel with your dog, take a look at a couple of recent posts on foXnoMad for some very useful tips and links (including, yes, links to a couple of Dog Jaunt posts!): “The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Internationally with Your Pets,” Part 1 and Part 2.

At this point, the links become very random indeed. Jerry, of Romeo Victor, recently flew a very large dog named Sassy in very small plane from Pulaski, TN to her new owner in Antlers, OK. If you’ve ever wondered how to fly a dog securely in a small plane, check out his post.

Looking for a dog-friendly place to stay in the Atherton Tablelands region of Queensland, Australia? Consider Chilverton Cottages & Fine Dining, which Dog Jaunt applauds for its enthusiastic dog-friendly policy. Take a look at their blog post featuring a photograph of two recent visitors, Bruce (a spaniel) and Cruiser (a Beagle). (I’m grateful, too, to the Chilverton Cottages site because it brought to my attention Holidaying with Dogs, a resource I hadn’t seen before, devoted to locating and rating dog-friendly places to stay across Australia).

Last, but not least, are some charming pictures from Lupikona of the author’s dogs Lupita and Kona visiting a “dog-friendly Starbucks” in Hong Kong — no, the girls weren’t allowed inside, but the author was delighted by the leash hooks and water bowl provided by the management.

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While I generally don't accept guest posts, reports from readers are crucial and treasured sources of information. If you have travel tips, photos, recommendations, or a personal travel story that you would like to contribute to Dog Jaunt, please send me email:[email protected]